Fate Has A Way
by fiddlegal
Summary: What happens when one person's choice changes everything? Would things still be the same? Next chapter is *finally* up!!! Please read and review.
1. While You Shoulda Been Sleeping

Fate Has a Way  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. They belong to someone else, someone that isn't me. But I do own Phillip, Rosemary, Rebecca, Neil, and Thomas. Unfortunately, those are all the ones that really don't matter. Oh well, at least it's something…  
  
I was supposed to be doing my paper on the Great Depression, but that was very, well, for lack of a better word, depressing. I needed to cheer myself up. I've had this idea in my head for a long time so I figured, why not just write this and put off the history paper. I have a whole bunch of ideas for where this is gonna go and it'll probably turn out to have a whole bunch of chapters by the time I'm done. The first chapter's purpose is mainly to confuse the heck outta you, and it's intended to be a prologue kinda thing, just remember that when you're reading it. The real story doesn't start until next chapter. I wonder if anyone is still reading this. If you are, well, then you are a braver soul than I. Here goes nothing…  
  
~*******~  
  
Prologue: While You Shoulda Been Sleeping  
  
The phone was ringing. Monica yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Who in the world would be calling me at this hour?" she muttered as she glanced at her clock. It was 3:30 in the morning. "Well, I know it's not Rachel," she laughed to herself. Not wanting to turn on any lights, she reached for the phone on her night table. "Hello?" she mumbled into the receiver.  
  
"Hey little sis. It's me. We're at the hospital. She went into labor about two hours ago, but I didn't want to wake you up."  
  
"Right Phillip. 'Cause you know I'm always awake at 3:30 in the morning. How long did they say it was gonna be?"  
  
"Right now Rosemary isn't too far along, so I'm getting the feeling that it's going to be a very long day. I thought that I'd just call and let you know."  
  
"Because you just love me so much. Have you called everyone else yet?"  
  
"I called Rose's parents and Mom and Dad, but I have to call Rebecca, Neil, and Thomas. Rosemary's parents said that they would call her brother. Oh, and thanks for arranging the private room. I know that those are hard to come by at St. Elizabeth's." (A/N: I don't know hospitals in Philadelphia; I just made it up).  
  
"No problem. I still have my connections in Philadelphia, even if I do live in New York now. Well, I should get back to sleep if I'm gonna try to fly out later tonight, but I'll call before work to see how you're doing."  
  
"Shouldn't you be calling to check on Rosemary and the baby?"  
  
"No," she laughed. "It's you I'm worried about. Oh, I would advise not calling anybody else, especially Rebecca, until about 7:00 or else you'll never hear the end of it. I mean, honestly Phil, I know you're excited about early morning feedings and all that other good stuff that comes with fatherhood, but 3:30? What do you honestly think I'm gonna do at 3:30 in the morning when I live in another state? Make Rosemary magically have the baby now. I said I had connections; I didn't say I was a magician. You should have called Phoebe if you were looking for a woman with special powers."  
  
"Well then, I guess I had the wrong number," He laughs. "Come to Philadelphia as soon as possible because it doesn't look like anyone but you and our parents will be able to make it out here in the next week unless Beck can pull off a miracle. You can stay in our apartment if you want, and you should see if Rachel and your friend Phoebe want to come. We have room, and I hardly know Phoebe."  
  
"Oh, so that's what this is all about. You want me to come and stay with the dog and those cats. And what do you think I'm going to do with Max and Callie? Just leave them to that guy across the hall. You know there's something about Kip that I really don't like, and I'm not sure if it's just because he's never not cheated on one of his girlfriends. But you know how all of us developed a sixth sense about who's really telling the truth. You know what I mean, it's a Crawford thing."  
  
"Absolutely, but I bet you could leave them with someone from the office. Please tell me you have more friends in New York than just Rachel and Phoebe. I mean, there are a lot of people in that city."  
  
"Shut up Phillip. I'm sure I could leave them with Phoebe's grandmother and her boyfriend. Anyway, this time I'm actually gonna let you get back your wife. Tell Rosemary good luck, and I expect you to call me the second my niece or nephew is born."  
  
"Bye Mon."  
  
"Bye Phillip."  
  
Monica sighed. She wished that she lived closer to her family. Phillip, who got a coveted spot at a very prestigious Philadelphia law firm, had moved there with Rosemary; he was two years older than Monica. Rebecca, who was one year younger than her, had just finished her last year as a resident at John's Hopkins and was now in Baltimore, doing a fellowship in pulmonology (lungs and related stuff but I don't know if I spelled it right). Neil, who was two years her junior, was at Harvard getting his Masters in business. And Thomas, who was the baby of the family, was a senior at Yale.  
  
So it looked as though she was going to be the only one of them able to fly to Philadelphia for the weekend to see their first niece or nephew. She was incredibly happy for her older brother and for Rosemary. In addition, the two of them had decided that she would be the baby's godmother, and she couldn't have been more thrilled at that. She probably could even convince Rachel and Phoebe to come to Philadelphia with her; she was almost sure that she could. Rachel had been her best friend for as long as she could remember and had become a very close family friend. They had met when they were six years old and Rachel's mom had just remarried, so Rachel was new to Boston. (A/N: In this, I've changed a whole lot about Rachel and Monica's past, so you're just gonna have to bear with me. I promise, it will all be explained. For now, all you need to know is that Rachel's parents split when she was really little and her mom married a guy who lived in Boston.)  
  
She rolled over and closed her eyes, hoping that sleep would come quickly because it looked like it was going to be a long day. Besides, Rachel and Phoebe will be over for breakfast in just a few hours.  
  
  
  
Hehehe… And I'm gonna end it there for now. I have part two written, but I'm not gonna post it until I have you all completely confused. Please review. Constructive criticism is always welcome and I want to know what you think is actually going on in this fic. Just don't tell me that it was stupid because Monica doesn't have a brother named Phillip (or any of those other people). I told you up there *points to the top* that it was just the beginning. If you're not thoroughly baffled right now, then I screwed something up and I didn't do this right.  
  
And I promise, if you review, then I'll post the next part (which explains a whole lot).  
  
Thanks for reading ~Auds 


	2. Fate Has A Way

Fate Has a Way  
  
Disclaimer: They aren't mine, so please don't sue me  
  
This chapter should clear up a few things that you may be wondering about, mainly the Ross/Monica thing. Well, it clears a little up, but not everything… I don't think I need to say much else.  
  
~*******~  
  
Chapter One: Fate Has a Way  
  
Four hours later, Monica was awake and had gotten ready for work. Phoebe was already sitting in her kitchen in apartment 20, and Monica expected her not-a-morning-person best friend to stumble through the door at any moment, complaining as usual. And she was right, five minutes later Rachel came in grumbling about the people that lived in the apartment above her. (Rachel lived in the building across the street.)  
  
"Rach, you're really starting to sound like Mr. Heckles," Monica laughed at the memory of her old downstairs neighbor. They sat down to breakfast; Monica had made pancakes. "How do you guys feel about going to Philadelphia with me tonight?"  
  
Rachel understood immediately, but Phoebe was skeptical. "If you're going to invite us on a vacation, you could at least be a little more creative with the place. And why pitch the idea today if you're leaving tonight?"  
  
Monica and Rachel look at each other with a look that says 'You've got to be kidding me.' "Phoebes," Monica starts to explain, "Phillip called me early this morning. Rosemary is in labor."  
  
"Ohhh. Why didn't you say so? I can do that."  
  
"I'll call the airlines for you if you want, Monica."  
  
"Oh, I figure my parents already arranged for the three of us to fly out there, but if you wanna double check for me that would be wonderful 'cause I'm early doc this morning."  
  
Just then, there's a knock at the door. The three girls look at each other; nobody ever knocks on Monica's door because she always leaves it open when she expects that one of the other two is coming over. And Rachel and Phoebe both had extra keys. Monica gets up and gets the door.  
  
"Hi, I'm Joey and I'm the new neighbor. I'm Kip's roommate. Kip is, well, I'm not really sure. But he doesn't have anything in his fridge so I was coming to ask if you guys had anything I could borrow?"  
  
"We're having pancakes if you wanna join us," Monica suggested. "I'm Monica Crawford, and these are my best friends, Rachel Green and Phoebe Buffay."  
  
Joey then realized that he was in an apartment with three girls, and he instantly said, "How you doin'?" Phoebe giggled.  
  
Monica gets up, puts her plate in the sink, and says, "Well, it was nice meeting you Joey. I have to get to work, but Rach, call me when you find out about our flight." Monica shuts the door behind her, leaving Phoebe, Rachel, and Joey to get to know each other.  
  
"So," how do you guys all fit in an apartment with only two rooms? Or, ohhh…" he stops, mid-sentence.  
  
"Actually, Monica is the only one of us who lives here." Rachel explains, "And before you ask any more questions, yes we are all straight. I live in the apartment building across the street and Phoebes lives a couple of blocks over with her grandmother and her grandmother's boyfriend."  
  
"You live in the building across the street? Where?"  
  
"Under Ugly Naked Guy's old apartment."  
  
"Ugly Naked Guy? Oh my." (a la Joey)  
  
"The guy that used to live there was always naked."  
  
"He used to be Cute Naked Guy, but then he put on a lot of holiday weight and it just never stopped." Phoebe chimed in. "He went off to live in a nudist colony with my friend Francine who used to shave her head. But that was only until Bonnie did it."  
  
"I think that's the place that one of my friends lives." Joey said. He got up and pointed out the window to Ugly Naked Guy's old apartment. "That's where Ross lives," he said.  
  
"That's so weird!" Phoebe exclaimed. "It's like a conspiracy, but not a bad one, you know, like the one when Ursula is involved. We were supposed to meet! It must have been in the stars. 'Cause, you know, fate has a way about these things!" Phoebe could just feel it; they had made a new friend.  
  
*******  
  
It was 4:15 later that day, and Monica only had her 4:30 appointment to go. She had even managed to keep up with her charts; it's amazing the motivation that you have to get something done when you want to get off of work on time. But Monica wasn't complaining, she loved her job. She had considered being a chef at one point in time. She had loved to just watch people cook when she was a little girl, and she was really good at creating new recipes. But she had decided that she could always cook on the side, so she went to medical school instead. Now she was working in a general pediatrics practice, after deciding that specializing would be "too depressing." (I promise, I'll spare you the gory details from the stories that my dad comes home and tells us about all of these people dying. Trust me, my mom is in pediatrics and her stories, well, most of them are a whole lot happier. You know, little babies, toddlers, and the seven year old brats who… never mind…).  
  
It had been a fairly uneventful day for her. They hadn't had any emergencies and no one had to be admitted to the hospital, so she had been able to call to check on Phillip, Rosemary, and the baby twice. So far everything was going well, which was a relief, and it looked like the baby was going to be born pretty soon. Rachel and Phoebe were going to meet her at her apartment and they would leave for the airport from there. Monica was in her office when one of the girls who worked at the front desk poked her head in. "Can I interrupt you for a second?"  
  
"Sure Betsy, shoot."  
  
"Your 4:30 is here a little early, do you wanna see her now or should I have them wait?"  
  
"I can see her now, no problem."  
  
"I blocked you off the schedule for tomorrow, and Tom and Marcy said they'd take your other patients so that you can get to Philly."  
  
"You are an angel Bets. Do you have the charts on my 4:30?"  
  
"She's new, they didn't like Dr. Brander's practice. I can't blame them, you know?"  
  
"Absolutely."  
  
"Here's what I got." Betsy hands her the patient's charts. "This is her past medical history, and her information: allergies, etc. I'll have them go to the purple room." (That's how my mom's office works, the doctors all know which room is which by the color of the door.)  
  
"Thanks, Betsy." She pauses, and then adds, "If Phillip calls or anything else related to my niece or nephew happens, be sure to update me as soon as possible."  
  
*******  
  
"Hi Amanda, I'm Dr. Crawford," Monica said as she entered the 'purple room,' just minutes later. "Has someone come to record your height and weight yet?"  
  
"No, there was some commotion at the front about someone's sister, so the woman at the front desk just brought us back here." Chandler said (like it was gonna be anyone else).  
  
"That's okay; I'll just do it myself. If my brother's wife can have a baby, I can handle the scales." She continues, now talking to the little girl, "Amanda is such a pretty name for such a pretty girl. How old are you?" She holds up two fingers. "You're two?" Amanda nods.  
  
"She's a little scared of the doctor after her last doctor yelled at her." Chandler explains.  
  
"Completely understandable," Monica smiles at the little girl. "I was terrified of the doctor when I was a girl. My parents were understandably surprised when I decided to be one. And I promise, I haven't yelled at a patient yet. I'll tell you everything I'm going to do before I do it. Now, do you want to come out to the hall so that we can see how tall you are?"  
  
"Come on Amanda." Chandler carries her out into the hall and Monica follows. Monica has Amanda get on the scales. (You know the ones I'm talking about that they have at doctor's offices.)  
  
"You know," she says, "It's really nice to see a father in here for a change Mr. Bing. I don't think I've seen a dad in here with their child for a long time. And some mothers can be so pushy at times. Not all mothers, mind you, just the ones that think that their child is the only sick child in the world. They think that I'm off having a party when I'm taking an emergency call or admitting someone to the hospital. If I'm ever like that if I have kids someday, I think that'll be the day I turn over my medical license." She pauses, "I'm sorry, I've been talking your ear off."  
  
"That's okay, I don't really like my ears anyway," he says. "And please call me Chandler, Dr. Crawford."  
  
"Chandler, if we're going by first names, then I'm Monica. And it's good to know that I have a patient with a concerned father."  
  
"Manda doesn't have a mother, so Dad has to take her to everything, right peanut?" Amanda nods. "My wife followed the lead of my friend's wife. His wife Carol decided she was a lesbian and then discovered that she was pregnant, so a year later, Amy decided to do the same thing. And as it turns out, Carol and Amy are now living together, since Carol's old partner Susan found another woman. And Ross and I have the kids. It's all one big happy soap opera." (LOL Alex, I just had to use your line.)  
  
"Lesbian means that she likes women." Amanda chimed in as only a two year old can.  
  
Monica laughed, "Well at least you have a dad who loves you." Chandler smiles at her, and she continued, "Everything looks good out here. Let's go back into the room." But as she says this, a woman comes around the corner looking for her.  
  
"Monica! Monica!"  
  
"Becky?!?!" The woman comes and throws her arms around Monica. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Getting ready to fly to Philadelphia with you tonight. I got away, so I flew up here to go with you guys."  
  
"Sounds reasonable enough," she says. "But I've still got one more patient to finish up with before we can leave. You can go sit in my office 'til I'm done."  
  
"Which one is it?"  
  
"The one with the paintings on the walls. It's around the corner and to the left." She points in the general direction. "And my name is on the door. Even you can't miss it."  
  
"Sounds easy enough."  
  
"Sorry about that," she explains apologetically (because how else do you say you're sorry). "That's my sister Rebecca. Our older brother is about to have a baby, or, well, his wife is going to have a baby."  
  
"Your sister looks a lot like you." Chandler comments, and Monica laughs. He looks puzzled. "What? Is there something wrong with that?"  
  
"Oh no, not at all." She says, still laughing a little. "It's just that we're all adopted, my sister, my brothers, and me. And people are always telling us how much we all look alike and how much we look like both of our parents. After so many years, you have to admit, it does get pretty amusing."  
  
"Then that makes more sense. I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Saying that you looked like your sister."  
  
"You have nothing to be sorry for. I don't mind at all. I'm actually glad that we all look similar because when we were really young it made us feel more like a family. It's really hard to convince a four year old who can't remember her birth family at all and spent most of her time going from foster home to foster home that these people actually want to keep you."  
  
"That's so terrible."  
  
"It's not so bad, not like most people think, because I found my real family. I wouldn't trade my family for anything; they're the only family I've ever known. It makes me more grateful for what I have." She pauses, "I don't know why I'm telling you this."  
  
"I don't mind at all," he says as Monica starts to examine Amanda.  
  
She had just finished with the check up when Rebecca pokes her head in. "I hate to interrupt, but…" She pauses, for effect, "It's a boy!"  
  
"Really?" She hugged her sister. "We have a nephew! We're aunts!"  
  
"Wow, don't say that. It makes us really sound old." She laughs and says, "I just thought I'd let you know, and now I'm gonna go back and wait for you. Later."  
  
"I promise, she isn't always this rude," Monica said as she turned face Chandler. "You're all set Amanda. See now, that wasn't that bad now, was it?"  
  
"I guess not."  
  
"Listen Monica," Chandler started to say. "I know that you probably need to go see your brother and your nephew now, but would you be interested in getting a cup of coffee sometime?"  
  
"That would be wonderful." She grabs a piece of paper from inside her file with Amanda's charts and scribbles something on it. "Here's my number. Give me a call on Monday; I should be back in town by then." She smiles and hands him the piece of paper. "Can you read that? As far as doctor's handwriting goes, I'm not too bad, but that's just based on doctor's standards." (A/N: I just love making fun of my dad's handwriting; I can hardly read it and I've been trying to my whole life.)  
  
"It's fine, perfectly legible," Chandler says, when who else but Ross, Joey, and Ben walk into the room.  
  
"The lady at the front desk said you guys were in here." Ross says.  
  
Joey looks at Monica like he's trying to make a connection, while she's busy writing something in Amanda's charts. Suddenly he makes the connection. "You're that girl from across the hall! You're Monica!"  
  
She looks up from the charts, "Yes, I'm- Oh hi Joey."  
  
Chandler groaned inwardly, she hadn't seemed like the type of girl who would have gone out with Joey. As much as he thought of Joey like a brother, Joey went out with more women than anyone could keep track of; he was definitely quite a womanizer. He was afraid to ask, but he had to. "How do you know each other?"  
  
"Joey just moved in across the hall from me; we met this morning." Monica said. Chandler breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Her friend makes the best pancakes I've ever had," Joey told them.  
  
"Did Phoebe or Rachel claim that they had made them this time?" She laughed. This wasn't the first time that they had taken credit for something that she had cooked.  
  
"Rachel made them. Why's that so funny?"  
  
"You've never had Rachel try to cook for you," she said. "I don't suggest that you ever try having Rachel make you pancakes. She flips them and they stick to the ceiling." She pauses for a second and looks at her watch. "Well it was nice meeting you all, but I have to go if I'm going to throw some stuff in a suitcase and catch my airplane." (A/N: I know that's not like Monica at all, but this Monica wasn't raised by Judy so I'm playing with it a little. Okay, okay, so I'm playing with it a lot, but…). "Call me," she says to Chandler as she leaves the room. "Bye Amanda."  
  
"So Chandler," Ross and Joey immediately start in. "'Call me?' You're going to date your daughter's new pediatrician?"  
  
"Nice," Joey added. "She's hot, and so are her friends."  
  
"Joey," Chandler says, "Not in front of the kids."  
  
"Yeah, speaking of the kids, maybe we should get outta here and go grab some dinner so that the kids don't get irritable," Ross added.  
  
"Can we order the Joey special, Dad?" Ben asks. "Uncle Joey let us when we got lunch with him yesterday."  
  
Ross and Chandler glare at Joey, and Joey shrugs his shoulders. They walk out of the room and towards the direction of Monica's office to leave. On the way out, Chandler sees Monica in what is presumably her office. He sees Monica talking on the phone and Rebecca looking at a painting on the wall of a lighthouse.  
  
"Uh huh," Monica was saying. "James Phillip Crawford." She pauses for a second to listen to the person on the other line. "Me too. Anyway, Rach, I'll see you at my place and thanks again for taking the dogs to Phoebe's grandmother's. Bye." She hangs up the phone.  
  
Chandler smiled inwardly, and he followed the others out of the office.  
  
Meanwhile, Rebecca was talking to Monica after she hung up the phone. "That guy was pretty cute. It's too bad he's married."  
  
"Actually, his wife left him through some lesbian soap opera situation, and he has my number. He's gonna call me on Monday. Anyway, if we wanna make our flight, we'd better go 'cause I haven't packed yet."  
  
"You know, for someone who is usually fairly organized, this is quite unlike you," she jokes, knowing that Monica is the kind of person who liked things in order, but only if she had the time. She hated to stress out about things too much.  
  
"Life is just too short," Monica laughed at her sister's joke. She got her purse and her coat. "Shall we?"  
  
Rebecca put her arm over her sister's shoulder and they left the office.  
  
*******  
  
Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, and Rebecca finally arrived in Philadelphia, and they immediately rented a car and went to St. Elizabeth's. When they got there, they met Monica's parents and grandmother as well as Rosemary's parents, and they went and saw baby James. They visited with the relatives for a little while, but soon decided that they would go back to Phillip and Rosemary's apartment to get some rest. They had no doubt that much of the large extended family would be "dropping by" in the next few days for a visit with the first grandchild, who had been given his father's name as his middle name as was family custom for each firstborn son.  
  
"Poor little James doesn't know it yet," Rachel said to the three of them once they had helped the new grandparents and Monica's grandmother get to their hotel, "But he's just become the first in the next generation of the most interesting family of New England psychos that ever was."  
  
"The scary thing about that," Monica laughed, "Is that every word that you just said is absolutely true."  
  
~*******~  
  
Okay, so there's part two. I hope that you're not quite as confused anymore and that you have some idea of what's going on. Anyways, I really want to know what you think. Is this worth continuing? Suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome. Please review 'cause it motivates me to get the next part written faster, just don't say that it's stupid because Monica would never be a pediatrician. Have a nice day. ~Audrey 


	3. Head Over Heels

Fate Has A Way  
  
Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it again? Oh well, if I must. I don't own them. There? Are you happy now?  
  
I'm listening to my Dvorak CD right now, and it makes me happy so I thought I'd start this while I was in a good mood. Thanks for the reviews on the last chapters because then I know that people are actually reading this and I'm not just wasting my time, as if I'd be doing something productive like testing my sig (LOL all of you who know what I'm talking about)… Anyways, here goes nothing.  
  
~*******~  
  
Chapter Two: Head Over Heels  
  
"Daddy?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Yes Peanut?"  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"I'm going to dinner with Monica," he tried to explain his date to his daughter. "You remember her, right? She was the nice doctor that we met last week."  
  
"Oh yeah. I liked her." She pauses and thinks about something for a minute, "Daddy, when Uncle Joey goes out to dinner with a girl, she always spends the night with him. Is Monica going to spend the night here?"  
  
"I don't think so honey. Not for a long time," he told her, as he thought to himself, 'Oh boy, this dating thing is going to be harder than I thought.' He hadn't been on a date since Amanda was born, and he had already gotten pep talks from Ross and Joey. Although, he didn't really listen to either of them since Joey was just encouraging him to have sex and Ross had hardly been on two or three dates since Carol left him. But it was still nice to know that they cared. And Chandler was really excited about this date. He didn't know why, but he had a good feeling about this, better than he had when he started going out with Amy. When he had called Monica on Monday, they had talked for an hour and had only stopped because Amanda had a nightmare and was crying for him. He told her that he was going to take her to a fancy restaurant and he couldn't wait to see her all dressed up. He hoped Joey would show up soon (he was babysitting Amanda) because he wanted to get Monica flowers before he picked her up at her apartment. To his relief, Joey arrived and was only two minutes late. He grabbed his jacket because it was January, and he found the nearest street vender selling flowers.  
  
*******  
  
Meanwhile, Rachel was helping Monica get ready for her date. Phoebe had gone on a date with Kip, and they had left an hour ago. Monica had advised Phoebe not to go on this date because she had never seen him last for two weeks with a girlfriend without cheating on her. But Phoebe wouldn't hear of it; she said that Monica was just jealous because Kip had asked her out and not Monica. Phoebe, however, couldn't have been further from the truth if she had tried. Kip had asked Monica out more than once, the last time he had done so was actually just after they had returned from Philadelphia. Monica wanted to tell her, but she didn't have the heart to. Maybe Kip wasn't as bad as she had originally thought. 'God, I hope so,' she thought. She allowed her thoughts to drift back to Chandler. She hadn't been this excited about a date in ages. And he said he was taking her to a nice restaurant. She had no idea what she should wear.  
  
"I think you should wear the red one that you wore to the Christmas party," Rachel was saying. "The one with the beadwork on the bottom." Rachel was happy that Monica was finally going on dates again. It had been months since Pete, and Monica had been working a lot lately since it was cold and flu season. Rachel helped Monica fix her hair and put on her makeup, and she left a few minutes before Chandler was supposed to pick Monica up. After all, it was Friday night and she had a date too. On her way across the street to her own apartment, she saw a nice looking man in a suit heading in the direction from which she was coming carrying flowers. 'Wouldn't it be great if this Chandler was as nice as that guy looks?' Rachel thought. 'It's about time that nice guys started showing up in the New York area.'  
  
*******  
  
Chandler shifted anxiously as the door to apartment 20 opened. He gasped in awe as she appeared in the doorway. There were no words that could possibly describe how beautiful she looked, but he was going to have to try. "You look-" he tried to find a word, any word, to fill in the blank. "Amazing." It would have to do.  
  
"You don't look so bad yourself," she grinned. She couldn't explain it- it was something about the way he looked at her- that made her feel as though this was going to turn out differently. He handed her the bouquet of roses that he had bought her on the way over. "They're beautiful." She exclaimed, and her face lit up. She put them in a vase and placed the bouquet on her kitchen table.  
  
"Shall we?" He held out his arm and she linked her arm in his as they walked out the door together.  
  
*******  
  
Chandler took Monica to a small Italian restaurant that had a great reputation. He had been there a few times before at company dinners and other work-related social functions. The food was excellent there; however, Monica and Chandler were too busy to even notice.  
  
They talked about anything and everything from friends and childhood memories to family and their jobs. Chandler had been working as a data processor until Amy divorced him to become a lesbian. He told Monica that when Amanda was born, he didn't want to leave her with a babysitter full time because his own parents had neglected him when he was a child. So he used some of the money that he got out of the divorce and some of the money that his dad had left him when he died of AIDS to buy a small, failing computer company and turn it around. The company now sells software to small businesses and was doing really well.  
  
Monica told him all about going to Philadelphia to see baby James, and she tried to explain her family to him. However, since Chandler was an only child, he had a hard time keeping track of all of her different siblings. They talked for hours, only leaving the restaurant when it was closing for the night. When they arrived back at the front door to Monica's apartment, both of them were disappointed that the evening had to end.  
  
"You don't mind if I call you?" Chandler said nervously.  
  
"Absolutely not," she grinned at him. She really wanted him to kiss her, but knew that he was too much of a gentleman to do that on a first date.  
  
"Goodnight Monica," he said. And he leaned in and kissed her cheek lightly. It was sudden and unexpected, and she wondered for a second if it had happened at all.  
  
"Goodnight," she said as she opened the door and stepped into her apartment. She closed the door behind herself, leaned back against it, and smiled, fingering her cheek where his lips had just been.  
  
Chandler watched the door close behind her. He was ecstatic.  
  
*******  
  
"So he's really coming?" Rachel asked excitedly on Sunday just over one week later. She and Phoebe had been anxious to see if this guy was really up-to-snuff. Monica was completely crazy about this guy and they had only been out twice.  
  
"Wow, this is so great!" Phoebe was just as excited as Rachel to finally meet this Chandler guy that Monica had been going on non-stop about all week. "I have Kip and Monica has Chandler and Rachel has…" she trails off and thinks for a second. "Well, two out of three isn't bad."  
  
"So what are we having for dinner Monica?" Rachel changed the subject as quickly as she could.  
  
"Well, I decided on spaghetti because Chandler is bringing Amanda and his friend Ross who is bringing his four year old son Ben. Plus Joey, who would be over here to eat even if Chandler and I hadn't suggested that he come."  
  
"It's too bad that Kip couldn't come Phoebes," Rachel added, though her statement was not entirely truthful. Like Monica, she too was worried that Kip would treat Phoebe like dirt and cheat on her, just like he had with all of the other girlfriends that they had ever seen him with.  
  
"Yeah, but he said that he absolutely had to work this weekend." Phoebe paused and then went on. "And he said it would be completely worth the wait later, if you know what I mean…" She giggled.  
  
"Phoebes, we always know what you mean." Monica said. "And be careful with him. We just don't want to see you get hurt."  
  
"I know what you mean. Life's tough. I remember when I first came to this city. I was fourteen. My mom had just killed herself and my step-dad was back in prison, and I got here, and I didn't know anybody. And I ended up living with this albino guy who was, like, cleaning windshields outside port authority, and then he killed himself, and then I found aromatherapy. So believe me, I know exactly what you're talking about. And I can watch out for myself, thank you."  
  
"The word you're looking for here is 'Anyway'…" Monica said, grateful that there was a knock on the door at that very second.  
  
When Monica opened the door, Amanda gasped. "It's purple, Daddy!" She exclaimed.  
  
"You like it, Manda?" Monica asked; she didn't need to. Amanda nodded energetically. "This is my friend Rachel and my friend Phoebe. Guys, this is Chandler and Amanda." Rachel remembered Chandler as the guy she had seen on her way home last weekend. 'No wonder Monica's crazy about him,' she thought.  
  
As if on cue, Ross and Ben made their grand entrance the next minute, and they were followed immediately by Joey.  
  
*******  
  
Dinner had gone well. Chandler and Monica both agreed on that. It was about 7:00 that night, and everyone else had returned to their own apartments. Chandler had volunteered to stay behind and help Monica do the dishes, which they had just finished. Amanda was sitting on Monica's sofa watching The Little Mermaid because it was the only movie Monica had that was "child-friendly."  
  
"Amanda, sweetheart, we have to go home now and get ready for bed."  
  
"But Daddy," she started to whine. "Why can't we just stay here at Monica's?"  
  
"Amanda, your pajamas are at home and so is Mr. Bear. You wouldn't want to go to sleep without them would you?"  
  
"Then can Monica come home with us?"  
  
"Peanut, she has to get up and go to work tomorrow morning. But how about this? What if Monica helped me tell your bedtime story?" He looked pleadingly (is that a word, oh well, you know what I'm trying to say…lol) at Monica, desperately trying to compromise.  
  
"Yeah, you give us something to start with and we'll tell you a story together." Monica quickly agreed.  
  
"Okay!" Amanda seemed to be satisfied with the arrangement. "Once upon a time…" she started. She pointed to Monica. "Now you go."  
  
"There was a fairy princess who lived in a faraway land-"  
  
"What's her name Daddy?" Amanda interrupted.  
  
"Ummm… Goldilocks?"  
  
"Wow, Chandler. You really need to touch up on your fairy tales." Monica laughed.  
  
"Shut up," he tried to push her off of the sofa but she stopped him before he could. "You're freakishly strong, you know that? Anyway, on with the story. So Princess Goldilocks was walking along in her kingdom one day when she saw this big bad wolf blowing down the houses of each of the three bears. So she found a frog who could help her stop the big bad wolf from destroying the village. After the frog so valiantly helped Princess Goldilocks, they went into the forest, where they met Little Red Riding Hood who had just been at the three little pigs' house. When they got into the heart of the forest, the princess wanted to reward the frog for all of its help. So the frog asked her to kiss him, which she did. The frog turned into a prince and found Cinderella to rescue her from the curse of the poisoned apple. The three of them found a horse a rode off to the ball, where everyone was celebrating the fact that Snow White's foot had fit into the glass slipper. And everyone lived happily ever after. The end."  
  
"No monsters and no ghosts, but that story was very scary." (A/N: Anyone else get the Full House reference?). "Please tell me that all of his stories aren't like this Amanda?" She shakes her head. "Thank God. How about I tell you a real fairy tale, and this time Chandler, leave all of the details to me…"  
  
*******  
  
Skipping about three weeks' time  
  
It was Valentine's Day, and Chandler and Monica had been going out for just over one month. To Monica and Rachel's surprise, so had Phoebe and Kip. Things seemed to be going really well for both couples. Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, and Ross had become almost inseparable, and Ben and Amanda loved all six of them very much already (even though they obviously already knew the three guys). Ross' parents were watching Ben and Amanda (A/N: Yes, I'm not going to ignore that fact forever, but it's gonna be longer in coming than you might think.) for the evening, since all six of them had dates. Monica and Chandler were going to dinner. Phoebe and Kip had plans. Ross had a date with some British girl he met in Central Park named Emily. Rachel was going out with a guy that someone from work set her up with. And Joey had three dates for the evening, in no particular order.  
  
Chandler stopped by Monica's apartment at about 4:30 since he got off of work early and Amanda was already with Jack and Judy Geller. He knew that she would probably be home because she had the whole afternoon off since she had been on call the night before. He had a key to her apartment and let himself in, laying the flowers that he had bought her as a prelude to that night down on her kitchen table. "Monica?" He called.  
  
"I'm in here." Her voice was coming from the extra bedroom. Thinking about it, Chandler couldn't remember ever having been in her extra bedroom. He cracked the door open and poked his head through the door. This hardly resembled a bedroom at all. There were a couple of easels throughout the room, and Monica was standing behind one with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and a paintbrush in her hand, staring intently at it and comparing it to a picture that she had clipped next to the easel. All around the walls there were paintings of people, animals, sailboats, houses, and just about anything else that you could imagine.  
  
"Did you do everything that's up here?" Chandler asked in amazement.  
  
"Yea, this is just some of the stuff that I've kept for myself. The ones that I really love are up in my gallery at my parents' house in Boston. And I've sold a whole bunch of stuff or donated it to charities."  
  
"You really are incredible," he said to her. He walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed the top of her head.  
  
"You're gonna get paint on yourself," she said, turning around to face him.  
  
"I don't care," he said as he leaned in to kiss her. "What's this a painting of?" He motioned towards the easel.  
  
"Oh this," she said, hesitating for a second. The painting was of a huge house, and it looked really elegant, like one of the homes that a really rich person would own. "Well, it's this house that's in Boston. And it was featured in a decorating magazine. I remember this house from when I was growing up in Boston, so I decided to paint it." She paused; then she asked, "Why are you here early? This is definitely not my best fashion statement." She motioned to her jeans and her old t-shirt, both of which were covered in paint stains.  
  
"I got off of work early. You're cute when you're embarrassed," he said, and she blushed slightly.  
  
"Can I get you anything?" She asked. "I was gonna make myself some coffee."  
  
"Sounds good, we've still got two hours before we have to leave for dinner." They left the painting/bedroom, and Monica started the coffee. When it was ready, they sat on the sofa and talked. It was when Monica looked up that she noticed.  
  
"Look Chandler," she gasped, and in her excitement, she sounded much like a child. "It's snowing!" They got up and went to the window to watch the snow fall. "I remember once, when I was growing up, it started snowing on Christmas Eve. I must have been just barely five at the time because I had just been officially adopted. Phillip and Becky were both asleep, but I couldn't close my eyes. My dad used to call me his little snow angel because I was always the first one to be outside when it would snow. He knew that I wouldn't be asleep, so he came to my room and took me for a walk. He took me to this lake that we would go skating on. It was so beautiful there. Then he went over to this big tree and he pulled out this bracelet. He said that the fairy princesses had left it there for me. It was when my dad put that bracelet on my wrist that I really knew that I belonged." Monica's eyes sparkled as she told Chandler the story. Monica lifted up her wrist, revealing the bracelet, and smiled. "I hardly ever take it off."  
  
Chandler kissed her temple. "You are truly the most amazing woman that I have ever met." He paused, but only long enough to make sure that she was really listening. "And I love you."  
  
"I love you too Chandler." It was as if time stood still, as if everything had stopped just for them. In that moment, nothing mattered but the two of them. And if they could have, they would have stayed there forever.  
  
~*******~  
  
I'm gonna stop it there for now. I would have put more in this chapter, but it's main purpose is to be a filler between them meeting and whatever I decide is gonna happen next. Plus I have a very important Model UN conference to go to this weekend (nobody better be laughing at me, model un is actually pretty fun) and I wanted to get this finished and posted before everyone forgot about it… I know this one was a little boring and probably pretty sappy and that it skipped around a lot, but it should get better as I get into some of the more interesting stuff. Please review and/or email me to tell me what you thought, what I could do better, or what you think should happen. Thanks a bunch ~Auds  
  
Oh yeah, one more thing: that conversation that Phoebe had about when she moved to the city was pulled from the pilot episode of the show, and I don't own it so please don't sue me. Same thing goes for the quote from Full House and the idea about telling really weird fairy tales (my four year old sister is really into that show, and I watch it with her sometimes…). So I don't own that either. 


	4. Meet The Parents

Fate Has A Way  
  
Disclaimer: Yeah, so, here's something new: I don't own them… I don't make any money off of them either… Okay, so you probably already knew that, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this here.  
  
Author's Note: In response to Vic's review- I do not model (I live in Virginia, so I don't think I could, even if I wanted to, which I don't, but that's beyond the point *kicks her stupid state*). When I said Model UN conference, I was referring to the Model United Nations. I'm in the club at my school, and we went to a conference over the weekend. We debate important world issues in the perspectives/policies of the countries in the United Nations. It may sound really dorky, but it's actually pretty fun. I think that's it… Anyway, read my story…  
  
~*******~  
  
Chapter Three: Meet The Parents  
  
This takes place about a month and a half after Monica and Chandler first say "I love you" or, in other words, about 1.5 months after the last chapter:  
  
The door to Monica's apartment opened suddenly, as Phoebe walked in and slammed the door behind her.  
  
"Phoebes, what's wrong?" Monica said, and she hurried to Phoebe's side. Phoebe's eyes were red; it was obvious that she had been crying.  
  
"You guys were right," Phoebe started to cry again. "You two were right. Kip is a two-timing, good-for-nothing, insensitive jerk."  
  
"Oh honey," Monica hugged Phoebe, and Rachel joined them. "What did he do?"  
  
"You know all of those business trips that he's been taking?" They nod. "Not exactly business trips."  
  
Monica goes over to the freezer and looks inside for a second. "So, mint chocolate chip, vanilla, or rocky road?" When Phoebe didn't answer, "Mint chocolate chip it is, then." She took out the carton and tossed it in Phoebe's direction. Phoebe caught it, and Rachel got three spoons. As they sat down at the table, the Joey and Chandler came into the kitchen. Joey was whistling and looked ecstatic.  
  
"Guess what girls, I…" He trailed off as he saw Phoebe in tears, and the three of them eating mint chocolate chip ice cream. And Joey's face went from ecstatic to concerned almost instantly. Chandler's did too.  
  
"What happened?" Chandler went immediately to Monica's side, as if he could protect her from whatever was wrong.  
  
"Kip was cheating on Phoebe." Rachel didn't feel as if any other explanations were necessary. She was right.  
  
"Where is he?" Joey started to get really angry. "I'm gonna hunt him down and kick his ass!! Are you with me Chandler?"  
  
"Absolutely!" The two of them stormed out and slammed the door behind themselves, just nearly missing Ross, Ben, and Amanda in their fit of rage as they went across the hall to Joey and Kip's apartment.  
  
"Why are Uncle Joey and Uncle Chandler mad, Daddy?" Ben asked Ross.  
  
"Well, that may be a question that we ask Aunt Monica, Aunt Rachel, and Aunt Phoebe." Ross was just as confused as Ben and Amanda were.  
  
"Monica," Amanda started, as she hurried to Monica's side. Her father's outrage had scared the little girl, who didn't understand why he was mad, and Monica let her climb onto her lap. Amanda had become quite attached to her dad's girlfriend. "Why was my daddy so mad?"  
  
"Honey, don't be scared. Kip did something mean to Aunt Phoebe, and your dad and Uncle Joey are going to, well, they're going to teach him a lesson."  
  
Amanda seemed considerably calmed down in Monica's arms, and Ben seemed to find that explanation satisfying for him as well. Ross, on the other hand, was more than distressed to find out what Kip had done to Phoebe. However, he managed to keep his temper down for the kids' sake, and he just began muttering and pacing.  
  
"Look at how silly Uncle Ross is being, Peanut." Monica used Amanda's pet name; she was very fond of the little girl.  
  
"Your daddy's silly Ben." Amanda giggled.  
  
Phoebe turned to look at Ross, who was now pacing furiously and muttering so fast that they could barely make out a word that he was saying. And in spite of herself, Phoebe found herself laughing. She was so lucky to have friends that cared that much about her. She was laughing so hard that Monica, Rachel, Ben, and Amanda started laughing too. Ross was too busy pacing to notice that they were laughing at him. 'Well,' Phoebe thought, 'Now I know where they get Red Ross from.'  
  
*******  
  
Kip hadn't been in apartment 19 when Chandler and Joey went to look for him there. They searched all over the city for Kip, but they couldn't seem to find him anywhere, not even in his office (A/N: I don't remember what Kip actually did or what they said that he did, so I'll just leave it at that). Finally, they went back to Joey and Kip's apartment, utterly exhausted, to see if Kip had come home. To their surprise, they found Kip's room entirely empty, and no one was home. They ran across the hall in case any of the gang had heard anything.  
  
They let themselves into the apartment, and they found Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe playing Twister, with Ross spinning the spinner. Ben and Amanda were watching the three girls make fools of themselves, with looks of extreme amusement on their faces. The container of ice cream was sitting, forgotten and melted, on the kitchen table. The three spoons were still inside the container somewhere.  
  
"Did you guys hear any unusual noises while we were gone?" Chandler asked.  
  
"No," Rachel said. "But you couldn't hear anything for a while because there was construction in the streets."  
  
"Did you find him?" Monica asked.  
  
"Well, here's a funny story," Chandler began to answer. "Kip wasn't anywhere that we looked. And when we went to double-check at Joey's apartment, Kip's room was empty. So either the invisible wizard came and put a spell on Kip and his stuff or he got moving men to come on short notice and he moved out."  
  
"The invisible wizard doesn't work on Sundays, so he must have moved out." Only Phoebe could come up with reasoning like that.  
  
"Are you gonna be able to make the rent on your own, Joey?" Ross asked. Since Joey was a struggling actor and didn't work that much, he usually had a hard enough time just trying to pay his half of the rent each month as it was.  
  
"Hell yeah!!!" Joey said excitedly. "I was gonna to tell you when I got here but I forgot. I'm gonna be on Days of Our Lives!!!" Monica, Phoebe, Rachel, and Ross all congratulate him (Chandler already knew).  
  
"Uncle Joey," Ben began. "What's Days of Our Lives?"  
  
"It's a soap opera." Rachel knew all about soap operas since she watched them a lot. The TV in her office at Ralph Lauren (A/N: I don't think I mentioned where Rachel worked yet, but let's just assume that she's working the same job that she's working in seasons 7-8, I think… just without Tag. Hey, it's my story and it's completely unlike the show, so I'm gonna change what I want to change, thank you very much…).  
  
"It's a soap what?" Amanda was confused. She didn't really like to take baths that much. She only liked them when there was no cleaning involved. She couldn't seem to understand why her uncle Joey would want to work in a place with soap.  
  
"It's an overly-dramatic drama that some grown-ups like to watch," Monica tried to explain without going into too much detail.  
  
"Oh, okay." Ben and Amanda seemed satisfied with that answer, and the rest of the gang breathed sighs of relief.  
  
*******  
  
About one week after Phoebe found out that Kip had been cheating on her and Kip had moved away, Jack and Judy Geller decided to pay a visit to their son and grandson. They surprised Ross, who was sitting on the sofa with Chandler, Ben, and Amanda doing a puzzle. It was one of those puzzles with twelve squares and the people changed what they were doing in each square based on which month of the year the square was supposed to represent (A/N: I had one just like it when I was two and I loved it. Don't tell me two year olds can't do 300 piece puzzles; it just takes them a lot longer, hehehe…). Ross' girlfriend Emily was visiting from England, but she didn't want to do the puzzle with the four of them.  
  
Jack and Judy Geller were not completely fond of their son's current girlfriend, since she was fairly demanding of him, always insisting that everything be HER way and was not very involved with Ben. But they loved Ross and he loved her, so they assumed that there must be something to Emily that they just didn't see and they weren't about to say anything against her. They sat on the chairs by the coffee table where Chandler, Ross, Ben, and Amanda were doing their puzzle and they helped by trying to put a few pieces together. Emily just sat off to the side, reading a magazine.  
  
Amanda was just about to put in the last piece of the puzzle when Monica opened the door and came inside. "I got your message Chandler," she began. "I know I'm a little late but we had the busiest day at the office. We had to admit five kids. I think two of them will be okay, but I'm really worried about the other three." Monica was breathless. Chandler took her in his arms and kissed her, whispering into her ear, trying to assure her that things would be alright.  
  
"Monica's a doctor." Amanda explained to Jack and Judy, who had not met Monica yet. "Come sit on the couch with me and Daddy." She said to Monica. They went over to the couch, and Monica sat right next to Chandler, her head resting on his chest. Amanda crawled up in between the two of them, and it was clear to Jack and Judy that she loved Monica as much as she loved her dad.  
  
The Gellers motioned to Ross to remember his manners and introduce them to Monica.  
  
"Mom, Dad," he said. "This is Chandler's girlfriend Monica. Mon, these are my parents, Jack and Judy Geller."  
  
"Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Geller." Monica shook their hands.  
  
"Nice to meet you too, Monica." Judy couldn't help but to recognize something about this girl. She seemed so familiar. She couldn't put her finger on it, but…  
  
"I'm gonna get going Ross," Emily said. "I promised my uncle that I would have dinner with him tonight."  
  
"Oh, Emily, are you sure that you have to go?" Ross was disappointed that she couldn't stay longer.  
  
"I'll be back later tonight, as soon as I can get away from my uncle's." He kissed her before she walked out the door.  
  
"Dad, I'm hungry." Ben was getting restless.  
  
"Okay, then let's decide what we're gonna do for dinner." Ross did not want his son to throw a temper tantrum when his parents were around. "Mon, do you have any leftovers from last night?"  
  
"Yeah, but only because Joey was on a date." She laughed. "He really is a human garbage disposal."  
  
"That's why we love him," Chandler could tell that Monica was becoming less and less stressed about her day at work, and he loved to joke around with her.  
  
Ross, Chandler, Ben, Amanda, Monica, Jack, and Judy went across the street to Monica's apartment, and she got everything ready for dinner. She was out of juice for Ben and Amanda, so she was going across the hall to borrow some from Joey, forgetting that he had locked his door because he was expecting to be out all night on yet another date. When she reached the locked door, she cursed silently and went back to her apartment to get the spare set of keys that she kept just in case. It took her a few minutes, but she did manage to find the extra keys and get the juice from Joey's refrigerator.  
  
While she was doing this, Amanda and Ben had made a project out of showing Jack and Judy around the apartment, including the art room, which now also had a sofa with a pull-out bed because Chandler and Amanda were frequently overnight guests. It even had an old dresser that had been taken out of storage when they took out the sofa bed, and they used it to keep some of Amanda's things. Chandler himself had left some things in Monica's bedroom, and Monica had some of her things at Chandler's apartment. Jack and Judy were particularly fascinated with Monica's artwork.  
  
*******  
  
After dinner, Ross & Ben and Jack & Judy went their separate ways, but Chandler and Amanda planned on spending the night at Monica's.  
  
Monica and Chandler put Amanda to bed on the early side because she was tired and they didn't want her to get too cranky or upset. Chandler made another feeble attempt to tell Amanda a bedtime story without reading from a book, which turned out no better than the last one. "You are the king of fractured fairly tales," Monica joked. Chandler kissed her to silence her, not that she objected in the least. Once Amanda was asleep, Monica and Chandler were so exhausted from everything that had happened that day that they crawled into bed themselves.  
  
"Are Ross' parents always this draining when they visit?" Monica asked as she lay in Chandler's arms that night.  
  
"I'm afraid so," Chandler said. "They weren't nearly as bad tonight as they usually are."  
  
"Wow, am I glad that I'm not their kid." Monica didn't realize the irony in her statement. "No wonder Ross turned out the way he did; I would have gone crazy."  
  
"Mrs. Geller treats him like he's a prince," Chandler said. "If they had ever had another child, she probably would have really nagged the poor kid to death and made them feel less important."  
  
"Well then, it's a good thing that they stopped at one." She laughed, again not understanding the irony in her statements.  
  
Chandler wanted to just lie in bed, holding her in his arms forever, but he had a question that he really wanted to ask her. He wasn't sure how she would respond, so he approached the matter carefully. "Mon," he started.  
  
"Yes Chandler?"  
  
"Do you ever wonder about your birth family? I mean what they were like or if you had any real brothers or sisters? Because I've always read about people who were adopted and wanted to find out about their real family history."  
  
"There's something I haven't really thought about seriously since I was a teenager." Monica wasn't completely sure of how to explain her feelings on this issue. She took a deep breath; she was going to have to try to answer his question. It wasn't as if she was trying to keep this from him. On the contrary, she loved opening up to Chandler. But this, this was different. With most of her closest friends, this was an issue that just wasn't discussed, probably because they didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. But she wanted to be able to talk about this to Chandler. He was more than just her boyfriend; he was her best friend, too. "Well, I guess there's a small part of me that's always going to wonder about my birth parents. You know, who they were, if they had any other children, how my life would have been different, that kind of stuff. But there's another part of me- the larger part- that knows that they didn't want me or else they wouldn't have left me at the front doors of the social services when I was seven months old. And I love my real parents so much. They have always been so wonderful to me. They taught me what it meant to be loved. They were the first people that really made me feel like I was a person, not just another thing that they had to keep for a few months to a year until another family could do the same thing. And I wouldn't want to have been raised by anyone other than them." She paused for a second, deep in thought. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel as if my life is complete as it is. I'll always wonder about my birth parents, but given the circumstances, that's only natural. I have no real desire to go out and find them because I don't think I could relate to them. I just wouldn't have anything to say to them; if I met them, I would probably stand there, staring at them. Or maybe, if someone from social services called and said 'I have your birth mother's other child over here and they want to meet you' or something else like that, then I would agree to meet them and talk to them, but I don't think that I'd go looking for them." She stopped and looked at Chandler. "You must think I'm absolutely crazy."  
  
"No Mon," he said. "I love you. I could never think you're crazy." When he held her in his arms, she felt safe, as if no one in the world would dare harm her. And she new that this was where she belonged. That this was how her life was meant to be.  
  
*******  
  
At the same time, Jack and Judy were arriving back at their house. Both of them had really liked Chandler's new girlfriend, which was ironic for more reasons than one. "Ross needs a girlfriend like her," Judy commented. Jack nodded in agreement. When they walked into the house, the phone rang almost immediately.  
  
"Just let it ring, Judy."  
  
But the phone rang again.  
  
"Just a coincidence." Jack didn't want Judy to become involved in a long phone conversation tonight.  
  
But the phone kept ringing. They were both getting worried. Who could possibly be calling them? And what was so important that they couldn't just leave a message?  
  
~*******~  
  
And that's gonna do it for now… I don't know when I'll get the chance to write the next chapter of this, so I would advise you to review, review, review. I'm also gonna try to write the next chapter of my other series (word to the wise: don't ever do two long series at once…). But it seems as though people aren't as interested in that one, so this one gets preference… (or this one is just coming to me faster, I have more inspiration for this one). Anyways, I want to know what you think. Do you have any suggestions for what should happen next? What do you think of the way Judy sees Monica differently? Who do you think is calling? And what are they calling about? I'm not sure how cliffhanger-y the ending was, but I tried…  
  
Once again, please review. ~Auds 


	5. Putting The Pieces Together

Fate Has A Way  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine… They never were, never will be… That's depressing…  
  
Hmmm… What can I say that won't scare you away? I don't know if such a thing exists. But I'll try anyway. Thanks for reviewing the last chapter; reviews really motivate me. And Carol and Amy *may* turn up in a chapter or two. You'll just have to wait and see… I haven't decided where they live yet, but that's not important right now. The only important thing about them, for right now at least, is that they do not live in New York City. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the stuff that I put in the last chapter about Monica's feelings on being adopted isn't just me making stuff up. I'm not adopted but one of my best friends is, and she has told me many things along those lines. Just thought I'd clarify my credibility on that subject. I think that's it for now…  
  
~*******~  
  
Chapter Four: Putting The Pieces Together  
  
Starts right after the last chapter left off:  
  
"Mom! Dad! I'm getting married!!!" Judy dropped the receiver in shock. Of all the things that she was expecting, this thought had not once crossed her mind. Though the receiver remained on the floor, Ross' screams could still be deciphered. "Mom, Dad? Did you hear me? I'm getting married!"  
  
Jack didn't know what else to do, so he picked up the phone and congratulated his son. Once Judy had recovered from the initial shock, she was able to congratulate Ross- but only while she was lying down on the sofa. She was thrilled that Ross was getting married. She just hoped that this one would turn out better than the last one. It had been so embarrassing to explain to all of her friends about how Carol had discovered that she was a lesbian. She didn't think another rushed marriage was a good idea. Because if it failed, it would be a terrible social marking for her. However, Ross' upbeat attitude and excitement over the engagement were enough to change Judy's mind. It did seem as though they were in love. But for all that Ross went on about Emily, something in the wind told her that it just wasn't going to measure up. She blamed it on the soup that she had for lunch. After all, she had that weird feeling about Chandler's girlfriend Monica, as if she should recognize Monica from somewhere. There had to have been something funny in that soup.  
  
*******  
  
And if Judy was shocked at Ross and Emily's news, the rest of the gang was at least five times as stunned as she had been. Rachel and Phoebe both fainted, and Monica probably would have if she hadn't been sitting down when Ross burst through the door of her apartment, yelling and screaming ecstatically. 'If Mr. Heckles were still alive,' she said to herself, amused with the thought of her former neighbor, 'He would be banging on his ceiling with that broom by now.' And she found herself laughing silently, in spite of herself.  
  
Once Phoebe and Rachel had adjusted to the news, the gang sat down and tried to convince him that he was rushing into things with Emily, that he needed to take it slower. If not for his sake, then for Ben's. Divorce is hard enough on little kids, on kids of any age for that matter, and he shouldn't risk divorce number two like this. Not when his son was involved.  
  
But Ross wouldn't hear of it.  
  
"Come on Ross," Rachel started in on him. "You two haven't been dating as long as Monica and Chandler have, and they don't have any plans to get married yet." Rachel pauses, reconsidering her last statement. She glanced in the general direction of Monica and Chandler. They seemed as though they were married already. She was sitting on his lap, and his arms were wrapped around her. Rachel wouldn't have any objections if they decided to get married then and there. But she was trying to make a point. "Are you?" She continues, directing her question at Monica and Chandler.  
  
"Nope," Monica shakes her head slightly.  
  
"We've only been dating for two and a half months." Chandler added. (A/N: I'm too lazy to go back and check my other chapters to see how long they've actually been dating, so if the number is wrong, feel free to correct me…). "It doesn't mean we're not in love. But we're not ready to get married yet either."  
  
"I rest my case." Rachel gestured towards Monica and Chandler and crossed her arms emphatically.  
  
"I can't believe that Chandler is being more mature about this than you are Ross!" Phoebe exclaimed.  
  
"Had to happen someday," Monica joked, trying desperately to stifle a giggle.  
  
"You," Joey pointed to Monica, "Have been dating him for way too long."  
  
"I don't really mind. I kinda like him." Monica smiles. Even when the six of them were arguing like they were now, she couldn't remember a time when she had been happier. "Back to the point Ross. Marriage is a huge commitment and all of that other stuff that they tell you. You just need to be sure that this is what you really want. That you're gonna love Emily forever, and that she'll be good for you AND for Ben."  
  
"This IS what I really want. I love Emily and I hate only being able to see her when she comes to visit."  
  
"And you don't think you're rushing into this at all?" Rachel asked. "What does Ben think about this? I'm speaking from personal experience that this is a really hard thing to accept. I mean a parent remarrying, that is." Rachel's parents had divorced right after her younger sister was born, and Rachel almost never saw her dad. Her mom got a new job in Boston, where she had met Rachel's stepdad. (A/N: I think I had mentioned this before but I wasn't sure. This is how Monica and Rachel knew each other when they were kids).  
  
"You don't think I've thought this through?"  
  
"Well, this did kind of hit everyone by surprise. Someone usually doesn't plan to propose after they've been dating for less than, oh, two months." Chandler had never known Ross to rush into such an important decision so quickly.  
  
"So it was a spur of the moment thing. That doesn't mean that it's not going to work."  
  
"And what does Ben think about this?" Joey asked. It was surprising how seriously Joey and Phoebe had been handling Ross' news. They were being unusually insightful. Okay, well, relatively speaking.  
  
"Why would Ben mind if he got a mother out of the deal?"  
  
"Well, you never know. I hated my stepdad, and my mom never listened. It came as a big shock to her when they put him in prison." Phoebe added her two cents to the discussion. (A/N: Isn't that the weirdest phrase. LOL).  
  
"You guys are just going to have to get used to the fact that I'm getting married. It's going to happen whether you guys want it to or not!" Ross was getting frustrated that his best friends were trying to lecture him, but he knew that were just trying to help so he just let it slide.  
  
"Okay, okay." Joey paused for a second, "So, who's gonna be best man?"  
  
Ross threw his hands up in exasperation and left the apartment. (A/N: Not in a mean or angry way, but in the friendly 'Will you just give it a rest' way. This is not meant to be incredibly OOC for Ross. Just to get him out of the room so that I can transition. Oh boy, listen to me…).  
  
"I give it two months tops." Chandler referred to Ross and Emily's engagement. "They'll have some huge fight and call the wedding off. I mean, people are usually engaged for at least six months, right?"  
  
"I don't think you're going to get any takers on that bet, Chandler." Rachel said.  
  
"It'll never last." Everyone nodded in agreement.  
  
*******  
  
Six weeks later, the wedding was still on. It would be in two weeks to be exact. Emily had always wanted to get married in this beautiful church in London, but they were tearing it down in a couple of weeks. This was the only way that Emily could have her dream wedding. And that was how Ross wanted it.  
  
Chandler and Amanda stopped by Monica's apartment to visit her after her practice meeting (A/N: Not a run-through for a meeting, her medical practice/group thing meeting. LOL, love you Hayden…). When she finally got home, an hour late, Chandler was pacing like mad.  
  
"Chandler!" Monica jumped. She wasn't expecting him.  
  
"Bad day at work?"  
  
"The worst. We had three admittances, all of them my patients. And the practice meeting was a mess… I don't even want to talk about it."  
  
"I made dinner…" When Monica looks questioningly at him, he adds, "Okay, so I reheated dinner from last night, but it's the thought that counts, right?"  
  
"Of course," Chandler kissed Monica. "Do I get brownie points for that?"  
  
"Sure, if you want to tear Manda away from that puzzle long enough to eat dinner." His cell phone rings. "I'd better answer this. I'll make it short."  
  
"I'll go get Amanda and put dinner on the table."`  
  
*******  
  
"That was an awfully long short phone call," Monica said as Chandler sat down to dinner ten minutes later.  
  
"Sorry," he started to explain. "My office has a meeting this weekend that I was NOT supposed to have to go to, but they just called me to say that the other guy backed out and I have to go." Chandler sighs.  
  
"Where is it?"  
  
"This city in Virginia; Richmond I think. I'm not completely sure though; I've never really paid that much attention to whatever city it is. But I've heard it's a killer to fly out of the airport there as far as flight rates are concerned." (A/N: I'm allowed to mock my home city…).  
  
"Weird place for a conference."  
  
"Yeah, and I'm gonna have to get Joey to clear his schedule for the weekend to babysit Manda. I hope he doesn't have too many dates planned for this weekend or he's gonna be mad."  
  
"He doesn't have to cancel any of his dates. Amanda can stay with me for the weekend. I'm not on call or anything, and I'd love to have her here with me. She's got some stuff here already anyway."  
  
"Oh can I Daddy? Can I stay with Monica this weekend?" Amanda wasn't too upset that her dad had to leave, as long as she got to stay with Monica.  
  
"If you don't mind."  
  
"Absolutely not. I'd love to have her."  
  
"You're sure it's not too much trouble?"  
  
"Why would it be? We'll have a great time while you enjoy your business meeting." She smiles at him; she heard him talk about how much he despises these meetings.  
  
"I wish," Chandler groaned. At least Amanda will be happy this weekend.  
  
*******  
  
Chandler left that Friday afternoon, right when Monica got home from work. It was one week until Ross and Emily's wedding, and everything was in utter chaos with the last minute wedding details. Well, everyone else was in a chaotic state. Monica and Amanda were having a great time.  
  
The two of them spent Saturday morning at the park, and Saturday afternoon at Monica's apartment doing puzzles and painting (Monica set up a smaller easel for Amanda to "paint" on… as much as two year olds can paint, that is…). Monica tried to explain the concept of Go Fish to Amanda, since Ben had learned to play the game at preschool and Amanda wanted to join in the game whenever anyone was playing it with him. However, her efforts were almost completely in vain, and Amanda refused to follow the real rules of the game. Instead, she made up her own rules and created the Amanda Game. (A/N: Don't you just love how two year olds can pull that off? I know I did when my little sister was two…).  
  
As much as Amanda had missed her father, she was sorry when the weekend was over, and she had to leave Monica. She convinced Chandler to stay at Monica's on Sunday night, not that Chandler needed much convincing. He had missed Monica terribly over the weekend. He had missed Amanda too, of course, but he could never remember missing one of his girlfriends that much during one weekend away from each other.  
  
*******  
  
Chandler was tucking Amanda into the sofa bed at Monica's apartment that night, and she was telling him all about her weekend.  
  
"…And she took me to the park again and we fed ducks by the lake and she helped me paint a picture for the refrigerator and…" She continued on and on excitedly.  
  
"It sounds like you had a very eventful weekend."  
  
"Yeah, and we get to go to London next week!" Now that the trip to London was approaching rapidly, the whole gang was really looking forward to the trip. They still thought that Ross and Emily were rushing things along way too fast. This was Emily's first relationship at all since she broke up with her ex-fiancé Karl. Maybe it was just the fact that Emily had an ex-fiancé that made the other five wary of the marriage. Maybe it was because of the lack of time to really think things through. But either way, no matter how happy Ross and Emily appeared to be, the other five sensed that it would never last.  
  
"That's right. It's going to be a lot of fun." Chandler's concentration shifted back to his conversation with Amanda.  
  
"Daddy?"  
  
"Yeah peanut?"  
  
"Uncle Ross is marrying Emily, and then Ben gets a new mom. How come you and Monica aren't getting married?" Chandler was almost in shock. He wasn't expecting this question. Well, not yet at least.  
  
"Umm…" He wasn't completely sure what to say. "Well, it's more complicated than you think. I mean, I'd have to ask her and buy a ring. And then she would have to say yes. And then we'd have a wedding…"  
  
"It sounds easy enough to me." Amanda doesn't understand why Ben gets a mom and she doesn't. "Grown-ups always make things so hard."  
  
Chandler laughs and kisses her cheek. "Goodnight sweetheart."  
  
"Goodnight Daddy." Chandler turned the lights off and shut the door behind him.  
  
*******  
  
One week later, everyone was in London, and the wedding was almost over. None of them could believe that Ross and Emily had actually made it to their wedding day. No one had thought that they would be able to make it this far. Ross and Emily were about to become husband and wife. They were, at that moment, beginning their vows.  
  
"Now Emily, repeat after me. I Emily."  
  
"I Emily"  
  
"Take thee, Ross."  
  
"Take thee, Karl." And everyone in the church let out a sudden gasp.  
  
"Shall I go on?" The minister asks.  
  
~*******~  
  
Ok, that last idea came from TOW Ross' Wedding so don't sue me. I've never read one where Emily says the wrong name. Please review! And make suggestions for another couple. ~Auds 


	6. Live and Learn, Then Fall in Love

Fate Has A Way  
  
Disclaimer: Do you really think that I own them? If you do, I have a very nice bridge that I could sell you… (Of course I don't own them. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this here…)  
  
I know I haven't updated anything in a while, but my life has been pretty crazy over the past week and a half. And I'm currently working on five fanfics – no wait, six fanfics- and one (The Other Side of Night) is really depressing and difficult for me to write, so I thought I'd come back to this one and write something happy for a change. And when I finish this, I might actually get around to finishing the next chapter of Someone to Watch Over Me… That'll be the day… Okay, I'm gonna stop rambling now…  
  
~*******~  
  
Chapter Five: Live and Learn, Then Fall in Love  
  
"Shall I go on?" The minister asks, in as much shock as everyone else, Ross and Emily included. Ross was at a loss for words. It was as if he had suddenly lost his ability to speak.  
  
"This is worse than when he married the lesbian," Judy Geller muttered to her husband.  
  
The seconds ticked by slowly. When Ross finally reacted to the situation, it seemed as though hours had passed. In actuality, it had only been minutes.  
  
Ross sighed. "No, I don't think you should," he told the minister. He silently walked down the aisle and out the back door of the church. No one even tried to follow him.  
  
The whispers that had been going back and forth between the wedding guests was slowly growing louder and louder.  
  
"Monica?" Amanda had been asleep on Monica's lap for the majority of the service since Chandler was one of the best men. "What's going on? Why is everyone being so loud? And where is Uncle Ross?"  
  
"Well, Uncle Ross got upset about something that Emily said during the ceremony so he left right before you woke up."  
  
"Is he gonna come back?"  
  
"I don't think so sweetheart."  
  
"So they're not getting married?"  
  
"No, they're not getting married."  
  
That was all the explanation that Amanda needed. As her attention span was somewhat limited - she was only two years old after all - she immediately became interested in something else. "Aunt Phoebe, will you come outside and see the birds with me?"  
  
"Sure Manda. We can go sing 'Feed the Birds' or whatever that song is called." Monica smiled inwardly at how much she, Rachel, and Phoebe had grown used to Amanda and Ben. Mary Poppins was one Amanda's favorite movies, and Phoebe had added a few of her own remarks into many of the songs in the movie, which was not an unusual thing for Phoebe to do, but it was amusing nonetheless.  
  
"Mon," Rachel cut in after the other two had left. "Do you think someone should go look for Ross?"  
  
"That's a good idea. Someone can go back to the hotel with Ben and Amanda, and everyone else should go try to find Ross."  
  
"Maybe we can get the Gellers to stay with the kids."  
  
"Do you think they'd do that?"  
  
"They seem like nice enough people. I'm not sure how I'd deal with them as my own parents, but since they aren't…"  
  
"Good point." Monica looks up from their conversation. "Here comes Chandler and Joey, let's see what they think."  
  
"So I bet no one saw that coming," Chandler motioned to the front of the church as he and Joey approached the two girls. Ben was following close behind.  
  
"Where's my dad?" He asked, still a little confused about the string of events that had just passed.  
  
"That's what we were just about to talk to you about." Rachel started to say. "Do you think that Ross' parents will watch the kids while we go looking for him?"  
  
"Probably not." But then Chandler looked over and saw Jack and Judy Geller having a heated argument with Emily's parents. "Actually, hold that thought…"  
  
"Phoebes and I can stay with them." Joey suggested.  
  
"Okay, you guys take them back to your hotel room, and we'll call you as soon as we hear anything." Monica stopped for a second. "Oh, and Phoebe and Manda are outside. You can't miss them. Trust me."  
  
"Where do you guys think that all of the other guests have gone to?" Rachel motioned to the now almost completely empty church.  
  
"Probably the reception… Some nerve if you ask me." The only other people who hadn't already left were the minister, who was still recovering from the half-ceremony, and the Gellers and the Walthams, who didn't look as though they would be going anywhere soon. It was just starting to get ugly.  
  
"And I'm telling you no one takes advantage of the Gellers." Jack was saying.  
  
"Ooh Jack. Sometimes I forget just how powerful you can be." For two people who were grandparents, Jack and Judy Geller certainly weren't shy about showing their affection for one another.  
  
"Anyone else a little nauseous?"  
  
"No, just you Mon. Maybe we should get out of here before… well… umm… let's go find Ross." Rachel stuttered, obviously as surprised at Ross' parents as her friends were.  
  
As Chandler, Monica, and Rachel left the church, they saw Joey and Phoebe leaving with the kids.  
  
"Who's hungry?" Joey asked. Ben and Amanda both replied enthusiastically. "If you promise not to tell, Cool Uncle Joey and Cool Aunt Phoebes will take you out for ice cream." Joey didn't need to tell them twice. They started anxiously towards the sidewalk. (A/N: So it's not the REAL Cool Aunt and Uncle, but what can I say… I'm improvising… Cool Aunt Courteney For Queen!!! And I bet almost everyone out there has NO idea what I'm talking about. You should feel special if you do *hugs to all of my crazy family and all the other Courteneyians*).  
  
"Aunt Phoebe!!" Amanda said excitedly. "Ben and I are gonna teach you a new song!!"  
  
Aside from Mary Poppins, Ben and Amanda had been watching Winnie the Pooh videos with Joey frequently. "Oh the wonderful thing about tiggers is that tiggers are made out of springs…" They started.  
  
"Ooh!! I know that song!!" Phoebe said. "Their tops are made out of rubber; their bottoms are made out of springs."  
  
"I know that song too!" Joey joined in the slightly off key variation.  
  
Monica, Rachel, and Chandler laughed among themselves as the other four walked down the sidewalk in the direction of the nearest ice cream place. Only Joey and Phoebe would know the words to the Tigger Song.  
  
"So where do you think Ross went?" Chandler's question brought them back to reality.  
  
"Honestly, I have no idea. I mean, he's never been here before, has he?" Monica asked. Since Chandler had known Ross the longest, he would be the one to know this kind of information.  
  
"If he did, it was a long time ago."  
  
"Our best bet is to start at the hotel, I would think," Rachel decided. "I mean, where would you go if this happened to you? Personally I wouldn't be walking the streets aimlessly in a city I wasn't familiar with."  
  
"Ahh, but you're forgetting one thing. I would never rush into a marriage again like I did with Amy. You'd think that Ross would have learned the same thing from Carol. I don't want to make a mistake like that again, not when Amanda could get hurt." Chandler reached out and wrapped his arm around Monica protectively as they walked, and Monica smiled at him. Even though they were worried about Ross, nothing could take away from their happiness. Chandler knew that Monica was the only person in the world that he would trust to be Amanda's mother.  
  
The three of them walked the rest of the way back to the hotel in silence. Each lost in their own thoughts. They had no idea exactly where they would find Ross, or how they would deal with him when they did. This was one of those uncomfortable situations when all you can do is stand helplessly on the side, wishing that you knew what to say or do, or even think.  
  
*******  
  
Through some hotel mix-up, it took them almost three hours to find Ross' new room. (He had been updated to the honeymoon suite as of that afternoon, and the others had yet to learn of his new room number.) When they finally did find him, he was in his room as Rachel suspected; yet, he was surprisingly not as upset or angry as they had anticipated. Albeit, he was embarrassed about rushing into things with Emily and worried about Ben's reaction to the day's events, but he seemed to be coping very well in spite of everything.  
  
While he was alone in the hotel room, Ross realized that it was probably for the best that Emily had said the wrong name. They obviously weren't ready to get married, and by doing this, she had prevented them from making a huge mistake. Who knows what would have happened in the future if she had said the correct name? He would never know the answer. No one would.  
  
If they could just make it through the next few weeks, everything would go back to normal. It just had to.  
  
*******  
  
Two weeks later, it was Chandler and Monica's four month anniversary, and everyone had almost completely forgotten about Emily. Or at least they were moving on with their lives.  
  
For their anniversary, Chandler took Monica to the same restaurant that they had gone to on their first date. It was hard to believe that four months ago, they were just two strangers who had met by chance. Now, Chandler couldn't imagine being with anybody but her.  
  
No one is perfect until you fall in love with them, the saying goes.  
  
He had never believed it until he met her.  
  
They were silent the entire cab ride back to Monica's apartment, completely content just because they were together. Sometimes the silence is just as important. Then you know that you're comfortable when you don't have to make small talk.  
  
They climbed the stairs to apartment 20, and Monica gasped as she opened the door. The entire apartment was lit by candles. It looked as though someone had Phoebe's entire collection on loan.  
  
"Thank Rachel and Phoebe later," Chandler told her. "I had them set it up."  
  
He led her to the sofa, and he pulled a wrapped box from his coat pocket. She unwrapped it carefully, and inside the box was a silver necklace. She studied it carefully. "It's so beautiful," she said. "And it goes with my bracelet perfectly." She held it next to the bracelet on her wrist. (A/N: I'm referring to the necklace that she was talking about in chapter 2).  
  
"I know how much you love that bracelet that your dad gave you. I wanted you to have something that you could wear with it."  
  
"I couldn't love anything more."  
  
"I feel the same way about you," he said. "I'll help you put it on." She turned around, and he put the necklace around her neck and closed the clasp.  
  
"Let me go get your present," she said, getting up off the sofa. "It's not nearly as nice as this is though." She went into the extra bedroom and came out about a minute later. "It was difficult for me to wrap," she explained.  
  
"Oh Monica," he exclaimed as she turned the gift around so that he could see it. It was a portrait of Amanda, and it looked exactly like her. "Did you do this?"  
  
"Yeah, about a month ago you mentioned that you wanted to get a portrait of Amanda done, so I took a picture of her and did this." She handed him the painting. "If you don't like it I can do another one or I'll get it done professionally."  
  
"It's perfect, Mon. Nobody could have done a better job." He was completely amazed. He had never been more touched by anyone else. No one else would have done this for him. He couldn't even begin to imagine the time and energy that she had put into this painting. "Happy anniversary, Mon," he whispered into her ear.  
  
"Happy anniversary Chandler," she said. He picked her up in his arms, and carried her into her bedroom.  
  
~*******~  
  
Okay, there's chapter 5. I had to completely change the title of this chapter because I felt like that was a good place to end it and I didn't even get into my original plan for this chapter. At least now I have a plan for the beginning of the next chapter… And I know I make references to a lot of weird stuff. Trust me, there actually ARE people who know what I'm talking about. I also seem to reference a whole bunch of kids' movies, but that's because I have a four year old sister. She's been the inspiration behind the character Amanda. I bet no one's still reading this…  
  
Please review and/or email me at fiddlegal528@yahoo.com. It would mean a lot to me to know that people are still interested in this or whether I'm just wasting my time. Depending on the reviews I get, I may or may not continue posting this. (Not that the story is by any means over…) 


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